17 December 2009

Ever since Burning Man my life has been turned upside down. December is turning out to be a crazy month as I prepare to close up my real-life business after 20 years here in Los Angeles and downsize things a bit. And, of course, it's the holidays so there's family to see, parties to go to. So yeah... my dance card is getting chockerblock and I haven't had a moment for vlogging.

Funnily enough, the day I gave notice to my landlord an amazing opportunity to travel for work has come up beginning the day after New Year's. It's a two week stint so it looks like my blogging ambitions won't be back on schedule until mid-January.

So I thought I'd take this moment to do a little bit of shameless self promotion for my Etsy store. All orders placed on or before December 31st will be shipped before my trip so don't worry that I'm going to skedaddle without making sure your purchase is on it's way to you!

19 November 2009

We are so pleased to announce that things are in the works for a burner Etsy Team spearheaded by the creative energies of Linda Loca, who runs the Etsy shop "Fire Grog Studios".

Loca put in the application for the team with the folks at Etsy and says it should be up and running in about week.

Some of you maybe wondering "WTH is an Etsy Team and why should I care?"

Well, Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, and promote their shops together. A team forms around a shared location, crafting medium, or another interest.

In this case Loca is building the team around a shared "community" (drink!).

"Actually, the team name is "Etsy Black Rock City Crew" says Loca. "I didn't want to use "team" in the title because, as you know, there is no team in f*ck you."

Aaah, this is how I knew Loca is a true burner!

Now you know me, I can't talk to a creative person without wanting to know more about what they do and why they do it. Loca told me that she only just started selling on Etsy in October and couldn't believe that there wasn't an Etsy burners team already in place.

"So hell," said Loca. "I'll start one myself, dammit. Cuz that's how we roll. ;) Radical self-reliance and all that rot."

I really admire Loca's "just do it" approach to the entire project. As my friend Technopatra once told me when I was having a hissy fit that Burning Man is a do-ocracy! I took her advice and created BURNcast. Radical self-reliance indeed!

"I'm excited at the prospects," says Loca, who envisions this crew as a tool for fellow burner artisans to utilize to great effect by globally promoting each others' shops and items.

Etsy's take? "Teams make us not just a marketplace of individuals, but an interconnected and diverse artistic community."

OK, it's time you played along with us! Click play now!

So now that I've got you psyched you're probably wanting to know how to get in on this.

Well, here's the dealio: since it will take about a week for the crew to be processed Loca has put in place a Google group (http://groups.google.com/group/etsy-brc) you can join right now with a blog and Flickr group soon to follow. Loca is inviting any burners who have Etsy shops to convo her on Etsy and she'll add you to the crew.

And that's it! More information as things start to take off. Until then, you can find me over at my little Etsy shop.

09 October 2009

Oh, man! I know it's been a little while since I've posted. But more about that later. For right now I want to share with you something Luna-See shared with me on her blog. If you've got the juice, you really ought to see this in HD.

So while I avoid trying to explain where I've been, let me tell you a little bit about Luna-See. She's an actual pal of mine (as opposed to virtual) who is an amazing photographer here in Los Angeles. She's also a long time burner whom I've had the pleasure of camping with the one year I hung out with the fabulous folks at Camp Homeslice. In her most recent blog post about this video she writes:

This is exactly what the Playa looked like the first time I experienced it 10 Burns ago...serious over-stimulation. Everything was whirling around me at hyper-speed. My brain couldn't process all of those sights and sounds. My eyes had trouble tracking across the vast desert landscape...look over there...no, over there...no, over there! My head was spinning. It was probably the closest thing to a Zach Braff induced time-lapse sequence that I'll ever experience...

15 September 2009

A word from Acroyogi: "Another playa year has passed, and as usual, so many joys and adventures transpired... as best a lazy camera can, just want to share with you a few glimpses of Black Rock City 2009, aka Burning Man. I took many many many photos, this handful represents the very best of them... you can click on the image at any time to read a descriptive caption in the upper right."

10 September 2009

It is with a sad and heavy heart to report that Gigsvillain Stormy Marley lost her battle with cancer yesterday. My deepest condelences to her husband Rob, her family and friends and all those who love and miss her. Namaste.

05 September 2009

OMG! It's BURN NIGHT BITCHES!!!! It's kind of a trip to hear my intro to this podcast from way back in 2006 when I was just cutting my teeth on podcasting. But I think the recording still holds up three years later. So enjoy this audio podcard from Burning Man 2006 and send me your videos when you get back of tonight's amazingness! Even if you can't be on the playa tonight, just close your eyes and dream. It's like Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge." FWIW, I was dreaming when I wrote this. Forgive me it goes astray! :)Photo by Tristan Savatier.

31 August 2009

30 August 2009

Officially Burning Man begins tomorrow -- well I guess I mean tonight at midnight really. So have a great burn everybody! Enjoy this home video submission of Dixon's Violin recorded at Center Camp 2008.

29 August 2009

The Flat Smiley Project is collaborative new media project and community building activity for Burning Man 2009 using Web 2.0 and social media tools. It's an invitation for burners to send photos and videos of Flat Smiley's adventures in Black Rock City as well as other regional burner events. Think of it like sending a digital postcard from the playa for many burners who are not able to attend the event this year due to the nation's prevailing economic downturn.

To participate in the Flat Smiley project each participant is asked to download the Flat Smiley PDF file and then color and decorate it in an effort personalize it with their own creative flair. Then, very much like the "traveling gnome" prank in the movie Amelie, participants will take Flat Smiley to the playa and photograph and/or videotape him at various camps, art installations and famous city landmarks. Finally, participants will upload the files to the Flat Smiley Flickr pool, Facebook Fan Page or YouTube playlist.

Download this file and color and decorate Flat Smiley to your heart's content.

Then cut him out and take him with you to Black Rock City and your local burner community (drink!) to document your adventures with Flat Smiley using a digital camera or videocam.

Upload the files to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr and tag them "flatsmiley" and or "bm2k9" (or hash tag "#flatsmiley" and/or "#bm2k9" if you're using Twitter) so that we can find them and share them with other participants.

Support burners who can't make it to Burning Man this yearby sharing Flat Smiley's adventures from the playa!

"Burning Man news and weather from the city of a million delights! Stay tuned for up to the minute reports from the BRTV team from Burning Man 09. Traffic Reports, Rave Cam, political commentary and so very much more will be broadcast throughout the year."

28 August 2009

Opening on the site of a 5000-year-old monastery, the Grand Hotel at Ashram Galactica sets a new standard for hotel and conference facilities in the Black Rock City Metropolitan Area. Plan an overnight stay in one of our four luxurious suites, enjoy a crisp cocktail at the world-famous Gilded Lily Bar, dine on Gourmet Moroccan fare at the Casa Roca Negra, relax on the lawn, pamper yourself with a massage or foot bath at the Poshram Spa, or shake your tailfeather all around. Our well-informed and obsequious concierge will be only too happy to book a room, massage, dinner, or advise the weary traveler of the many sights, sounds and smells the city offers. Stop by for an unparalleled evening of magical delight.

Be sure to visit one evening and see our new show, A Grand Things a Happening, at the Gilded Lily Theater!

We're going to take you back to 2007 when Peter Hudson brought the amazing Homouroboros to the playa. Our first episode featured in the player above is an interview with Peter at a fundraiser for his project pre-Burning Man. I love this interview. Peter's excitement was infectious and though nobody really knew what the project was going to look like just talking to Peter got me psyched!

BURNcast #058 - Peter Hudson's "Homouroboros"

Then I meet up with Peter at Burning Man to see the project and talk about how he got it there. We then speak with Hudson's sister Tess about her first burn. Finally, we speak to burners Stephen and Michael as to the meaning of the piece.

27 August 2009

Holla everybody! DaBomb here! I was hoping the lovely Miss divaD would have our killer events video up but we're holding out until tomorrow to post. So if you've got a playa event you want to promote on our calendar, there's still time to let us know by posting it to our Events form. Our deadline has been extended to tonight by 7:00 p.m. PDT.

BURNcast #067 - A Conversation with Miss Tickle

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I'm on hiatus from creating new content for this blog. Most of my audience will be at Burning Man and I need a break. So, I thought it would be perfect to feature past episodes for those new to my work.

Sooooooo......today on BURNcast we speak to Miss Tickle the day after the Man burned the second time to talk about costuming, the early burn and her week at Burning Man.It was recorded two years ago on 2 September 2007. Miss Tickle is a DELIGHTFUL interview and I know you'll enjoy it. Just click on the player above to listen.

25 August 2009

This episode was first released over two years ago on July 11, 2007 so the topics on the BURNcast Community Bulletin Board segment are somewhat dated. The reason I thought it should make it to the Greatest Hits week (or maybe better to say make it in "repeats") is that it features an interview Louise Johnson who (along with her husband Phil Stripling) runs the Civilized Explorer, a website for Burners that provides information annual guides and perennial guides on Burning Man as well as related articles, links and more. Today’s focus is on the “Reno Resources” section on the website that is useful for all those passing through the Biggest Little City in the World on the way to Black Rock City.

There's a couple of things I just want to touch base as we slide into Burning Man this year:

1) Diva Danielle wants to feature your playa events on our BURNcast Events Calendar vlog coming up this Thursday. We're not going to be covering local regional events at this time but instead focusing our efforts on playa events exclusively. So if you've got something going on and want it featured on our vlog, please post it to our Events form. Our deadline is tomorrow, Wednesday 26 August at 7:00 p.m.

2) I'm promoting The Flat Smiley Project for Burning Man 2009. The Flat Smiley Project is collaborative new media project and community building activity for Burning Man 2009 using Web 2.0 and social media tools. The project invites participants to send photos and videos of Flat Smiley's adventures in Black Rock City and regional burner events. It's like a postcard from the playa for many burners who are not able to attend the event this year due to the nation's prevailing economic downturn. You can get more info about the project at and even join hisfan page on Facebook and share your images. It's my deepest wish that those who are going to be in attendance will get behind the Flat Smiley project and share the beauty of our fair city with others who can't make it.

3) Producing a daily new media blog about the art, culture and community of Black Rock City has been enormously satisfying for me but it's practically a full time job with lots of overtime. While I really love what I do here, I need to spend as much if not more effort looking for a real job with real pay. There are still a few audio recordings I want to put up for the audio podcast, I just got bogged down with stuff these past few weeks so it will have to wait. I fully intend to wrap up the audio podcast after producing them for the past 3 years straight but then after that, my focus will mainly be on curating user generated video for the video podcast.

4) As we get closer to the event, I'm feeling the need to scale things back a bit just to keep my sanity. Some personal issues have come up this summer including the serious illness of a family member. I also thought it might be good for me to get away from the computer occasionally so I've been assisting the folks at the Giant Cock Car and giving away much of my camping equipment to friends who are going this year. All this has been taking away from my focus on the blog this past week and it got me thinking that this might be a good time to start my hiatus. I'm planning on finishing out this week with a couple of videos and maybe point you to some greatest hits of BURNcast but mostly I'm just going to wait for you to come back from that thing is the desert and see what kind of stories you have to share here on BURNcast.

I hope everybody has a safe journey to Black Rock City and back again. I hope you're inspired to live fully and dream fantastically and love deeply whether at Burning Man or in your default life. As always, I appreciate comments left on our blog, reviews left in the iTunes store or wall posts on Facebook. And while I maybe stepping back just a little bit these next few weeks until everybody gets back from the playa, you can always keep in touch by following me on Twitter.

20 August 2009

Here is a clip of the Temple in '05 a few hours before the Temple burned. The scene around the Temple in the hours before the burn are always some of my favorite introspective times. Hope you enjoy it! -- Psilly Psymon

19 August 2009

18 August 2009

This piece features members of our community and extended family who have passed away since last year's burn. Inspired by the efforts of the Memorial Plaque that is placed in the Temple prior to its immolation as well as that of Temple itself, this video is a celebration the lives of the people we love. It is available for viewing in HD format on Vimeo.

My People

The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.

The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.

Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.

I'm creating a virtual temple for 2009 dedicated to those lost since last year's burn. It will be made into video and is intended for members of the community including their friends and family (and their pets, too).

What I need to make this video is photos from your loved one. More information about that, so just keep reading....

Whomever has lost somebody this year and is taking their memory to memorialize in the temple is welcome. So for instance if you lost your parent but they never have been to Black Rock City, it doesn't matter. If you lost a co-worker but they never been to Black Rock City, it doesn't matter. What matters here is celebrating their lives and what they meant to you.

I've started a Flickr pool that you are free to join but if you don't have an account or if you'd rather not contribute photos there, simply email them to me at burncast[at]gmail[dot]com.

What I need to make this video are photos of your friends and family who have passed away since the last Burning Man. Please include their names. Also, please add only 9 photos at the most. Let me know which one is your favorite. The limit of 9 photos and your favorite one will assist me in making the video and highlighting the one you like the most. In the past I've made videos based on photos I found in the deceased's Tribe or Facebook profile and being a curator of the images of somebody I don't know is a little awkward for me. This is why I ask for your participation.

11 August 2009

In today's episode we meet up with Jessica Hobbs a member of the Mechabolicteam, a trash-to-fuel land speed racer slug at Burning Man 2007. We also have a chat in the middle of a dust storm with truck driver Larry Malick who has transported several large-scale art installations to Black Rock City. Music by DJ Saadhu available at BassRitual.com.

09 August 2009

Once again here it is! A fabulous array of playalicious playwear and more by crafty burners on Etsy placed in order as submitted. If you're running out of time in your pre-playa prep consider supporting a local community (drink!) artist.

08 August 2009

We're gonna do another post of "Crafty Burners on Etsy" again because the last time we did it, some of you felt left out due to the fact that you didn't know how to make a widget! So below is instructions on how to make a widget and then below that is the submission form. The deadline is 9:00 PM tonight, PDT.

07 August 2009

FishBikeDude submitted this home video of Anton Viditz-Ward's flaming art piece entitled "The Wheel of Thwarted Ambition" which he brought to Burning Man in 2008. The music is from a DJ who was playing next to the installation.

Teh Fine Print

This is an unofficial website. BURNcast is independently produced by burners for burners. It is offered as a gift to the Community (drink!!!). Our podcasts, vidcasts and blog are not intended to represent Burning Man in virtual reality or actual reality. The views expressed on BURNcast may or may not reflect that of the BMorg or the Black Rock City LLC and we're not affiliated with the Cult of Larry.

All rights reserved for all BURNcast audio podcasts and BURNcast vidcasts including any and all blog and calendar posts except where explicitly communicated on this blog. Permission required to use any BURNcast recordings for remix and reuse.